Incendiary bullet



Dec. 28, 1943. .1. J. HICK 2,337,658

' mcnunmmr BULLET Filed April 21, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Dec. 28, 1943. J. J. HICK INCENDIARY BULLET Filed April 21, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r m m 1' M.

Patented Dec. 28, 1943 UNITED ST 2 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in ammunition for machine guns, rifles and other small arms, the principal object being to provide a cartridge for this field of use having an incendiary bullet.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an incendiary bullet which will automatically explode should an attempt be made by the enemy to open the same to detect its construction.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader of the following description.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevational view.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view,

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the bullet proper.

Figure 4 is a cross section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the bullet with its contents removed.

Figure 6 is a side elevational View of the automobile hammer.

Figure '7 is a longitudinal sectional view through the plug of the automatic hammer.

Figure 8 is a sectional view through the re taining washer used in conjunction with the automatic hammer.

Figure 9 is a face elevational View of the washer shown in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a side elevational view of the hambeing formed into a circumferential groove Ifia on said bullet 8.

The bullet 8 is hollow and contains a thermite substance H]. A paper or washer I I of some other substance is provided in the bullet 8 for holding the thermite in place.

Numeral l2 denotes an elongated firing pin which extends through the thermite containing compartment and has a reduced portion I 3 which extends into the nose portion of the bullet and terminates just inwardly of the extremity of the nose portion of the bullet. At the inner end of the pin i2 is a small compartment [4 containing black powder or like explosive l5 and into the outer end of this chamber M is disposed a detonator l6 which is opposed to the pointed head structure ll of an automatic hammer l8.

The automatic hammer I8 is slidably disposed in a bore I9 of a plug 20 which is threadedly disposed into the inner end of the bullet 8 and has openings 2! in its outer end which permits rotation of the plug by a suitable tool or other instrument.

The hammer I 8 has a pin extension 22 threaded into a threaded recess 23 in the plug 20, and a spring 24 in the bore l9 tends to urge the hammer l8 with its head ll toward the detonator It.

In the bullet 8 is a washer 25 having its periphery threadedly disposed in the bullet 8. This washer is at the inner end of the plug 20 and has a squared opening therein for receiving the squared shoulder 26 of the hammer It.

It can now be seen, that when the bullet 8 is discharged from a rifle by the explosive 6, it will eventually strike something which will crumble its nose portion, forcing the firing pin i2 rearwardly until the detonator I6 is set off by engagement with the hammer head ll, thus exploding the charge I5 which passing through the ports 28 sets off the thermite H), exploding the bullet and setting fire to all nearby infiammables.

- Should the bullet 8 not explode when it reaches its objective, and is picked up by an enemy, any attempt to unscrew the plug 29 to inspect the contents of the bullet will result in the bullet exploding.

For instance, should the plug 253 be turned, the washer 25 will remain stationary, and the plug 20 will not only unscrew from the bullet 53 but will screw off of the threaded portion of the hammer pin 22. Obviously, when the plug 20 is freed from the hammer pin 22, the spring 24 will project the hammer toward the detonator It, exploding the detonator and setting oif the powder l5, which, of course, will ignite the thermite i8 and explode the bullet. Thus all evidence of the construction of the bullet will be destroyed.

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size and materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the inveninvention, what is stance confined in said body forwardly of said butt end, and means to explode said substance including a normally fixed, releasable firing pin in said body spring-loaded for projection when released, and a device in the butt end of the bullet to fix said pin, said device being removable from said butt end and releasing the pin when removed.

2. A bullet comprising a hollow body having an open butt end, a fire-producing explosive sub- 10 stance confined in said body forwardly of said butt end, and means to explode said substance including a detonator, a plug in said rear end and removable therefrom, and a firing pin for projection against said detonator attached to said plug to restrain the same against projection and detachable therefrom under removal of said plug, said pin being spring-loaded for projection against said detonator when detached.

JOSEPH J. HICK. 

